[Sundae]

Originally Posted by DanaC

As to the IRA.
Personally, I think those prisoners were political prisoners. Yes, they committed violent acts. But they were political prisoners. They weren't just 'criminals' they were soldiers fighting a guerilla war.

I know that there were mistakes made on both sides. But IRA mistakes tended to be far bloodier. They were ruthless, cruel and engaged in criminal activities. And after all they were accorded political status in the end - after all that fuss about the Lockerbie bomber going home to die - how many IRA members with blood on their hands were freed before their sentences were up?

The level of support they had in America has been overblown.

Interesting article. I'm not completely convinced, given that this is the first time I have read this and have had no time to read around it. But I will do and am willing to concede that much of what I swallowed without question was as a teenager.

When it came to the violence on the mainland; the majority of IRA bomb attacks were preceded by warning phonecalls. Bit different to walking onto a plane and blowing yourself up. Apart from the pub bombings ( a very dark chapter) and the Brighton Hotel, most IRA attacks were designed to cause maximum disruption ancd fear with minimum loss of life.

I disagree. In Omagh three warnings were given, each slighty contradicting the other. The police were clearing the wrong area when the bomb went off. And Enniskillen, no warning - and in fact it was only cackhandedness that prevented a far higher death toll that day - 20 miles away a bomb was planted at a memorial service for the Boys and Girls Brigade - 4 times the size of the one which exploded. But that's Ireland which we weren't discussing.

So on the mainland. The warning system just doesn't appear to be a real failsafe.
The warning system still allowed two shopkeepers to die at Canary Wharf.
Manchester City Centre cleared of shoppers and workers, but 212 still injured.
Pub bombings - Guildford 4 dead, Woolwich 2 dead, Birmingham (one inadequate warning) two pubs bombed 21 dead.
Hyde Park and Regents Park bombings - the Royal Green Jackets playing a medley of songs from Oliver, civilians among the wounded, 7 horses killed or so badly maimed they had to be put down - no warning.
Brighton Hotel bombing, no warning - 5 dead many seriously wounded
Deal Barracks bombed - the Royal Marines School of Music that takes in 16 year olds to train in music and as medics. 11 dead, 23 seriously injured, almost all teens and new recruits.
Warrington bombs - warning given for Liverpool, 15 miles away. 2 children killed in a shopping street the day before Mother's Day.
Two Australian tourists shot and killed in Roermond in the Netherlands, mistakenly identified as off duty soldiers.

The attacks over here caused distress and fear

And death.

My point being if you don't like killing civilians than you have to be a hell of a lot more careful than the IRA were.

Please don't think I'm a supporter of the Loyalists either. I'm only picking up on the death of civilians (okay, not Deal, but they were unarmed kids) on the Mainland. Yes, I think you're right re the situation being different. Yes I agree that the most damage was done in Ireland - the builders, taxi drivers, passers by, partners, families etc etc. It's all revolting.

It still affects me as I'm sure you can tell. A slightly older generation grew up in fear of The Bomb. That didn't mean shit to me. I grew up in fear of the IRA. Of having stations and shopping centres and office buildings blown up.